Historic Japanese Garden Reopens April 11, 2012

Among the new features visitors will see at the Huntington Library Botanical Gardens is an authentic Japanese ceremonial teahouse set within a traditionally landscaped tea garden, situated on a southwest ridge above the existing Japanese house (pictured) that has served as an iconic backdrop for the last 100 years. The Japanese house is also being renovated.

The historic Japanese Garden at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif. are undergoing a complete year-long, $6.8 million renovation. The garden will reopen on April 11, 2012 in time to celebrate its centennial.

The Japanese Garden, one of 15 gardens at the Huntington, has a series of koi ponds, historic moon bridge (built by Japanese craftsman Toichiro Kawai), Japanese house, a dry rock ''Zen'' garden and a bonsai garden. The Huntington, established in 1912, has drawn more than 20 million visitors since opening to the public in 1928. ''It is a . . . magical place, intimate and inspiring,'' explains James Folsom, director of the gardens. ''It teaches us about Japan's unique landscape traditions, craftsmanship, horticulture and rituals.''

With the addition of a Tea Garden there will be on occasion traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. The teahouse itself, Seifu-an (arbor of pure breeze), was donated to The Huntington by the Pasadena Buddhist Temple in 2010. Built in Kyoto in the 1960s, the teahouse was disassembled from the temple site and shipped to Kyoto, Japan in the fall of 2010 for restoration. Kyoto-based architect and craftsman Yoshiaki Nakamura, whose father built the original structure, oversaw the restoration. The teahouse was shipped back to San Marino in May 2011, then painstakingly reassembled under the tutelage of Nakamura and other expert craftsmen who traveled from Kyoto.

''For those who still wonder about the distinctions between a Japanese and a Chinese garden, walking from one to the other here at The Huntington will give you ample opportunity to compare and contrast. They couldn't be more different, each extraordinarily beautiful,'' observed Steven Koblik, president of The Huntington.

Workers at The Huntington are currently completing the historical restoration of the Japanese house, led by preservation architect Kelly Sutherlin McLeod of Long Beach. Repairs to the central pond system and water infrastructure are also under way, along with renovation of the original faux bois ornamental trellises. The project includes improvements to pathways, making them more accessible. Landscape architect Takeo Uesugi and his son Keiji Uesugi, both affiliated with California Polytechnic University, Pomona, oversaw design plans for the landscape which include the creation of a new waterfall to the south of the Japanese house.